Portable savings-bank.



No. 680,046. Patented Aug. 6, I90l.

J. E. INGRAM.

PORTABLE SAVINGS BANK.

(Application filed m 15, 1901.

(No Model.)

. was BAN w ia a/ Witnesses Juvezztbr- ""jl H j 7 k flm gy- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. INGRAM, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MPORTABLE SAVINGS-BAN K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,046, dated August 6, 1901.

Application filed May 15, 1901.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES E. INGRAM, acitizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Savings-Banks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in portable savings-banks.

The object of the invention is to provide a savings-bank of this character which can be cheaply and strongly made of sheet metal and from which it will be impossible to abstract money without unlocking or breaking the bank.

The invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements, and combinations of the parts hereinafterfully described an d claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved savings-bank. Fig; 2 is a vertical transverse section of the upper portion of the bank, the section being taken through the coin-chute. Fig. 3 is a similar View of the said upper portion, showing it inverted, the section being taken at one side of the coin-chute. Fig. at is also a vertical section of the upper portion of the bank, the section being taken approximately at right angles to that shown in Fig. 2 and illustrating the pivoted guard of the coin-chute. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the savings-bank without the lock which covers and closes the bottom opening through which the money saved in the bank may be removed. Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the bottom of the bank, the latter being shown inverted, the section being taken approximately on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5 and with the said lock in place closing the opening. Fig. 7 is a face view of the lock or cover detached.

Referring to the drawings, the letter a designates the body of the savings-bank, which body is drawn from sheet metal. body is circular and provided with a flared base a, a coneavo-convex or rounded top a a coin-slot b in the top, and said top has also two struck-up ears 0, to which a loophandle d is pivoted.

Within the body a and attached to the top is a coin-chute provided with arigid inclined The said Serial No. 60,271. (No model.)

bottom wall 6, extending from the coin-sloth downward in the bank,and also provided with two side walls f, whose edges f are slightly oblique in a direction opposite to the said bottom wall e, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. g

the latter to have a slight swinging movement A to and from the lower edge of the chute bottom wall e, whereby to close and open the discharge end of the coin-chute. The bot tom wall 6, two side walls f, and retaininglugs g of the coin-chute are all preferably made of one piece of sheet-tin, which can be stamped out by a die and bent to the desired shape. It is to be especially noted in this connection that the concave-convex shape of the top will cause the coins that may be in the bank to slide against the pivoted guardplate h and close the discharge end of the coin-chute whenthe bank is inverted, there by preventing the coins from being abstracted through the chute and coin-slot.

The bottom 1 of the savings-bank is permanently secured in any suitable manner to the body a, at the base of the latter, and is provided with a central openingj, by means of which the savings may be taken out-of the bank. The said bottom 6 is preferably stamped out of sheet metal, and from two opposite sides of the opening j projects a flange 7c, the said two flanges extending toward each other, and from one of the other sides of the said opening projects an integral flange m, extending into the bank at right angles to the bottom, as indicated in Fig. 6, and at the side of the opening opposite said flange m and a short distance from the edge of the opening is another flange 'n, rigidly secured by solder or rivets and which also extends at right angles to the bottom 7;, as also shown in Fig. 6. In order to distinguish these flanges from each other, to denote their purpose, and for the sake of brevity I shall call the two flanges .cover and retain it in position after it is locked.

As illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, the cover or lock that closes the opening j is provided with a bolt-shooting mechanism of ordinary construction. The casing 0 of said lock is of a size to snugly fit between the adjacent edge I of the two butting flanges 7cand the other two side edges of the openingj, and from three sides of said casing 0 project flanges '19, while the bolt (1 of the lock is located at'the remaining side of the casing. To secure the said cover in the opening jof the bank-bottom, the bolt q must be retracted, and the coverflan'ge p on the edge opposite the bolt is slid through one of the spaces 1 until it comes into contact with the stop-flange n. The other two flanges p of the cover or lock are then brought into contact with the butting flanges 7c, and the bolt q is then shot by means of a key 4 and takes over the other stop-flangem, whereupon the coveror lock is rigidly secured to-the bottom '6 and can only be removed therefrom by retracting the bolt q.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A savings-bank, provided with a convex rounded top/and a coin-slot in said top; a coin-chute secured within said bank tothe convex or rounded portion 'thereof adjacent tom and have lugs extending toward each a other; and a guard pivoted to swing between said side walls and limited in its movement by said lugs, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A savings-bank, provided with a coinslot; 3. coin-chute within said bank adjacent said slot and provided with an inclined bottom, 6, two side walls, f, whose edges are in clined in a direction reverse to the bottom, e, and having two retaining-lugs, g, all formed of one piece of metal; and a guard-plate, h, provided at one end with lugs taking in apertures in said side walls and suspended so as to swing from said lngsthe movement of said guard plate being limited by said two retaining-lugs, g, as and ioi;the purpose set forth.

3. A savings-bank, provided with an opening by which the bank may be emptied, and also provided with opposite butting flanges, k, at two sides of said opening,and opposite stop-flanges, m, n, atthe other sides of said o ening; and a cover or lock adapted to rest on said butting flanges, and provided at one side with a flange adapted to take under one side of said opening and engage with one of said stop-flanges and provided at the other side with a bolt adapted to be shot, under the opposits side of said opening and engage with the other "stop-flange, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. INGRAM. Witnesses:

F. S. STITT, CHARLES L. VIETSCH. 

